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View Full Version : Rust Colored Algea After Tank Move


04V10
08-15-2012, 02:39 PM
Hey guys,

As the topic title says, I recently moved my tank ( about 2 weeks ago) to a new house. When I did the move, I left the old sand in the bottom of the tank while I did the move and reused this sand. Of course the sand got stirred up and the tank was 6 months from it's initial startup so it had some good life in it. There is also quite a bit of flow in the tank and in the area where there is this algae.

I was using supposed RO water from a machine at Shell, however I wasn't testing it. So this could have contributed to it, however I never had any problems before.

Since then There is one spot that seems to be growing rust looking stuff every day with a rust color on the sand, however in the morning after the lights have been out for some time it is gone, but developes again throughout the day.

I did purchase an RO unit and set it up and have done one water change with it so far, doing another on Friday.

Could this just possibly be a liberation of nutrients from the sand being stirred up and creating some nusence algae? Should I just wait it out to see what happens? I will get a full tank param tonight and post what it is at. Everything is still thriving and I have been feeding the same as usual. Oh and I also added a skimmer last week to the system.

oyf709
08-15-2012, 08:33 PM
When you said these "algea" apear only when lights on, it sounds like cyano bacteria or "red slime algea". I think you are right on when you say it cause by the stirred sand bed. When sand bed stirred, it will start releasing unwaned waste that was trap under your LR or deep under the sandbed. You tank might under go mini cycle as well. I would just siphon it out from the sand bed as much as you could. I wouldn't do too much water change at this time as new water into the tank is "more food" for those bacteria. Make sure you also limiting the light and food into the tank.

Oh when you try to siphon the sand bed, try not to go too deep which will cause more waste come out.

Seriak
08-15-2012, 09:06 PM
Most likely cyano. I would just keep doing partial water changes to lower the nitrates. You might want to get a simple TDS meter so you can actually determine the quaility of the water going into your system. I know I had a lot of cyano when I was using tap water or fed too much on my first system.

04V10
08-16-2012, 03:07 AM
Thanks for the replies guys. My new RO/DI unit actually has a digital TDS meter on it and does an online reference while producing water.